An amazing promise from our Lord:
Revelation 3:10–13
[10] Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from The Hour of Trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. [11] I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. [12] The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him The Name of my God, and The Name of The City of my God, The New Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of Heaven, and my own New Name. [13] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to The Churches.’ (ESV)
The Feast of Trumpets, which was observed on the first day of the Seventh month, ushered in the second series of the "set feasts." It fell on a Sabbath day, at the time of the New Moon, and ushered in the Jewish New Year. It was followed by the "Day of Atonement', on the 10th day of the month, and by the "Feast of Tabernacles" which began on the 15th day of the month, a Sabbath day, and ended on the 22nd day of the month, which was also a Sabbath day. It was ushered in with the blowing of Trumpets. During the Wilderness Wandering two silver Trumpets, made of the atonement money of the people, were blown for the "Calling of The Assembly", and for the "Journeyings of The Camps". (Numbers 10:1-10) The fact that the Feast of Trumpets comes immediately at the close of the "Interval" between the two series of "set feasts" is not without significance. As we have seen the "Interval" represents this "Dispensation of Grace", and we know that two things are to happen at the close of this Dispensation. First the Church is to be caught out, and secondly Israel is to be gathered back to their own land. When the Church is caught out- "The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God" (1Thessalonians 4:16), and "We shall not all sleep (die), but we (who are then alive) shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the Last Trump; for the Trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed " (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
[13] But we do not want you to be uninformed, Brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. [14] For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. [15] For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until The Coming of The Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will descend from Heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with The Sound of The Trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words. (ESV)
1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
[1] Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. [2] For you yourselves are fully aware that The Day of The Lord will come like a thief in the night. [3] While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. [4] But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. [5] For you are all Children of Light, Children of The Day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. [6] So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. [7] For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. [8] But since we belong to The Day, let us be sober, having put on the Breastplate of Faith and Love, and for a Helmet The Hope of Salvation. [9] For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, [10] who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. [11] Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 15:51–53
[51] Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [52] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at The Last Trumpet. For The Trumpet will sound, and The Dead will be raised Imperishable, and we shall be changed. [53] For this perishable body must put on The Imperishable, and this mortal body must put on Immortality. (ESV)
This "Last Trump" is not the list of the "Seven Trumpets" that sound in the Book of Revelation, for it does not sound until the "Middle of the Week, " while the Church is caught out "before" the beginning of the "Week". We probably are to understand by the "Last Trump" the last of the Two Trumpets used by Israel, the first, for the "Calling of The Assembly", will call out the dead in Christ from their graves, and the second or "last", for the "Journeying of The Camps", will be the signal for the upward journey of the risen and transformed Saints to meet the Lord in the air.
Then we read in Matthew 24:31, that the Son of Man, when He comes in The Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory at His Revelation of Himself, shall send His angels with a great sound of a Trumpet, and they shall gather together His "elect" (not of the Church but of Israel) from The Four Winds, from one end of heaven to the other". From this we see that the "Feast of Trumpets" has a typical relation to the "catching out" of the Church, and the regathering of Israel at the Second Coming of Christ. This has led some to believe that as Jesus was crucified at the time of the Passover, and the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost, that when He comes back the "Rapture" will take place at the Feast of Tabernacles, and the "Revelation" seven years later at the time of the same Feast. Time alone will reveal the correctness of this view.
Larkin, Clarence. Clarence Larkin Collection - 6 Complete Larkin Books [ILLUSTRATED] . Kindle Edition.
Revelation 4:1–6
The Throne in Heaven
[1] After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in Heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this”. [2] At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a Throne stood in Heaven, with One seated on The Throne. [3] And He who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around The Throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. [4] Around The Throne were Twenty-Four Thrones, and seated on The Thrones were Twenty-Four Elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. [5] From The Throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before The Throne were burning Seven Torches of Fire, which are The Seven Spirits of God, [6] and before The Throne there was as it were a Sea of Glass, like crystal. And around The Throne, on each side of The Throne, are Four Living Creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: --- Please continue reading on your own Bible.
For those who are confused about The Seven Spirits of God -- here you have clarification:
Isaiah 11:1–5
The Righteous Reign of The Branch (Yeshua the Messiah is The Branch - the Son of God)
[1] There shall come forth a Shoot from The Stump of Jesse,
and a Branch from His Roots shall bear fruit.
[2] And The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding,
the Spirit of Counsel and Might,
the Spirit of Knowledge and The Fear of The LORD.
[3] And His delight shall be in The Fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what His eyes see,
or decide disputes by what His ears hear,
[4] but with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for The Meek of The Earth;
and He shall strike The Earth with The Rod of His Mouth,
and with The Breath of His Lips He shall kill The Wicked.
[5] Righteousness shall be The Belt of His Waist,
and Faithfulness The Belt of His Loins. (ESV)
A parable by Jesus of Nazareth warning His Church to be ready for he would come for His Bride suddenly:
Matthew 25:1–13
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
[1] “Then the Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. [2] Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. [3] For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, [4] but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. [5] As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. [6] But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ [7] Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. [8] And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ [9] But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ [10] And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. [11] Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ [12] But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ [13] Watch therefore, for you know neither The Day nor The Hour. (ESV)
For additional clarification on who would proclaim Lord, Lord let's read further in God's Holy Word:
Matthew 7:21–23
[21] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter The Kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. [22] On That Day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ [23] And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (ESV)
The Lord's coming for His Bride is likened to a thief breaking in at any time:
Luke 12:35–40
You Must Be Ready
[35] “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, [36] and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. [37] Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. [38] If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! [39] But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. [40] You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (ESV)
Let's refer to the following paper written in 2009 by Thomas D. Ice for additional insight into The Rapture:
The fact of the Rapture was first revealed by Christ to His disciples in John 14:1-3. It is most clearly presented in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 which encourages living Christians that, at the Rapture, they will be reunited with those who have died in Christ before them. In verse 17 the English phrase “caught up” (NASB) translates the Greek word harpazõ, which means “to seize upon with force” or “to snatch up.” This is the Greek word from which the English word “harpoon” is derived. The Latin translators of the Bible used the word rapere, the root of the English term rapture. A debate swirls around when this takes place relative to the Tribulation. At the Rapture living believers will be “caught up” in the air, translated into the clouds, in a moment of time.
An interesting tie between the revelation of The Rapture by our Lord in John 14:1-3 and Paul’s expansion in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 has been observed by commentator J. B. Smith. Smith has observed a “thought for thought” parallel between the two passages: Let us now compare two passages of Scripture which, by the words employed, clearly show that they refer to the same event...
John 14:1-3
trouble verse 1
believe verse 1
God, me verse 1
told you verse 2
come again verse 3
receive you verse 3
to myself verse 3
be where I am verse 3
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
sorrow verse 13
believe verse 14
Jesus, God verse 14
say to you verse 15
Coming of the Lord verse 15
caught up verse 17
to meet the Lord verse 17
ever be with the Lord verse 17
Observe: The words or phrases are almost an exact parallel. The follow one another in both passages in exactly the same order. Only the righteous are dealt with in each case. There is not a single irregularity in the progression of words from first to last. Either column takes the believer from the troubles of earth to the glories of heaven. It is but consistent to interpret each passage as dealing with the same event—the rapture of the church. 4 Such a comparison bodes well for the pretribulational rapture of the church, as we shall see below.
Operating consistently upon the foundation of these four biblical foundations, we will survey six specific biblical arguments for Pretribulationism. These are not all the reasons for a Pre-Trib Rapture, but are simply a summary of some of the basic arguments. Contrasts Between Comings The Rapture is characterized in the New Testament as a “translation or resurrection coming” (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:15-17) in which the Lord comes for His church, taking her to His Father’s house (John 14:3). On the other hand, Christ’s Second Advent with His Saints (the Church=Rev. 19) descends from Heaven and arrives on earth to stay and set up His Messianic Kingdom (Zech. 14:4-5; Matt. 24:27-31). The differences between these two events are harmonized naturally by the Pre-Trib position, while other views are not able to comfortably account for such differences. Paul speaks of the Rapture as a “mystery” (1 Cor. 15:51-54), that is, a truth not revealed until it was disclosed by the apostles (Col. 1:26). Thus the Rapture is said to be a newly revealed mystery, making it a separate event. The Second Coming, on the other hand, was predicted in the Old Testament (Dan. 12:1-3; Zech. 12:10; 14:4).
The New Testament teaches about the Rapture of the church and yet also speaks of the Second Coming of Christ. These two events are different in a number of ways. Note the following contrasts between the translation at the Rapture and Christ's Second Coming to establish the kingdom.
Rapture / Translation
1 Translation of all believers
2 Translated saints go to heaven
3 Earth not judged
4 Imminent, any-moment, signless
5 Not in the Old Testament
6 Believers only
7 Before The Day of Wrath
8 No reference to Satan
9 Christ comes for His own
10 He comes in the air
11 He claims His bride
12 Only His own see Him
13 Tribulation begins
2nd Coming / Establish His Kingdom
1 No translation at all
2 Translated saints return to earth
3 Earth judged & righteousness established
4 Follows definite predicted signs including tribulation
5 Predicted often in Old Testament
6 Affects all men
7 Concluding The Day of Wrath
8 Satan bound
9 Christ comes with His own
10 He comes to the earth
11 He comes with His bride
12 Every eye shall see Him
13 Millennial Kingdom begins
Dr. John Walvoord concludes that these “contrasts should make it evident that the translation of The Church is an event quite different in character and time from The Return of The Lord to establish His Kingdom, and confirms the conclusion that the translation takes place before the tribulation.”5 Both events mention clouds symbolizing a heavenly role in both, but other differences demonstrate that these are two distinct events. At the Rapture, the Lord comes for His saints (1 Thes. 4:16); at the Second Coming the Lord comes with His saints (1 Thes. 3:13). At the Rapture, the Lord comes only for believers, but His return to the earth will impact all people. The Rapture is a translation/resurrection event; the Second Coming is not. At the Rapture, the Lord takes believers from earth to heaven "to the Father’s house” (John 14:3); at the Second Coming believers return from heaven to the earth (Matt. 24:30). The best harmonization of these two different events supports a pretribulational Rapture (which is signless and could happen at any moment), while the many events taking place during the Tribulation are best understood as signs leading up to The Second Coming.
A Time Interval Needed Between Comings An interval or gap of time is needed between The Rapture and The Second Coming in order to facilitate many events predicted in the Bible in a timely manner. Numerous items in the New Testament can be harmonized by a pre-trib time gap of at least seven years, while other views, especially postribulationists, are forced to postulate scenarios that would not realistically allow for a normal passage of time. The following events are best temporally harmonized with an interval of time as put forth by pretribulationism.6 2 Corinthians 5:10 teaches that all believers of this age must appear before The Judgment Seat of Christ in Heaven. This event, often known as the “Bema Judgment” from the Greek word bema, is an event never mentioned in the detailed accounts connected with The Second Coming of Christ to the earth. Since such an evaluation would require some passage of time, the pre-trib gap of seven years nicely accounts for such a requirement. Since Revelation 19:7-10 pictures The Church as a Bride who has been made ready for marriage (illustrated as “fine linen,” which represents “The Righteous Acts of The Saints”) to her groom (Christ); and The Bride has already been clothed in preparation for her return at The Second Coming accompanying Christ to the earth (Rev. 19:11-18), it follows that The Church would already have to be complete and in Heaven (because of the pre-trib rapture) in order to have been prepared in the way that Revelation 19 describes. This requires an interval of time which pretribulationism handles well.
The 24 elders of Revelation 4:1–5:14 are best understood as representatives of The Church. Dr. Charles Ryrie explains: In the New Testament, elders as the highest officials in the church do represent the whole church (cf. Acts 15:6; 20:28), and in the Old Testament, twenty-four elders were appointed by King David to represent the entire Levitical priesthood (I Chron. 24). When those twenty-four elders met together in the temple precincts in Jerusalem, the entire priestly house was represented. Thus it seems more likely that the elders represent redeemed human beings, . . . The Church is included and is thus in Heaven before The Tribulation begins. If they refer to The Church, then this would necessitate The Rapture and reward of the church before The Tribulation and would require a chronological gap for them to perform their heavenly duties during the Seven-Year Tribulation. Believers who come to faith in Christ during The Tribulation are not translated at Christ’s Second Advent but carry on ordinary occupations such as farming and building houses, and they will bear children (Isa. 65:20-25). This would be impossible if all saints were translated at The Second Coming to the earth, as posttribulationists teach. Because pretribulationists have at least a seven-year interval between the removal of The Church at The Rapture and The Return of Christ to the earth, this is not a problem because millions of people will be saved during the interval and thus be available to populate the millennium in their natural bodies in order to fulfill Scripture. It would be impossible for the judgment of the Gentiles to take place after the second coming if the rapture and second coming are not separated by a gap of time. How would both saved and unsaved, still in their natural bodies, be separated in judgment, if all living believers are translated at The Second Coming. This would be impossible if the translation takes place at The Second Coming, but it is solved through a pretribulational gap.
Dr. John F. Walvoord points out that if “the translation took place in connection with The Second Coming to the earth, there would be no need of separating the sheep from the goats at a subsequent judgment, but the separation would have taken place in the very act of the translation of The Believers before Christ actually sets up His Throne on earth (Matt. 25:31).”8 Once again, such a “problem” is solved by taking a pre-trib position with it’s gap of at least seven years. A time interval is needed so that God’s program for the church, a time when Jew and Gentile are united in one body (cf. Eph. 2–3), will not become commingled in any way with His unfinished and future plan for Israel during The Tribulation. Dr. Renald Showers notes that “[A]ll other views of The Rapture have The Church going through at least part of the 70th week, meaning that all other views mix God’s 70-weeks program for Israel and Jerusalem together with His program for The Church. A gap is needed in order for these two aspects of God’s program to be harmonized in a nonconflicting manner.” The pretribulational rapture of the church fulfills a biblical need to not only see a distinction between the translation of Church Age saints at the rapture, before the second coming, but it also handles without difficulty the necessity of a time-gap which harmonizes a number of future biblical events. This requirement of a seven-year gap of time adds another plank to the likelihood that pretribulationism best reflects the biblical viewpoint. The Imminent Coming of Christ The New Testament speaks of our Lord’s return as imminent, meaning that it could happen at any moment. Other events may occur before an imminent event, but nothing else must take place before it happens. Imminency passages instruct believer to look, watch, and wait for His coming (1 Cor. 1:7; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thes. 1:10; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; 1 Peter 1:13; Jude 21). If either the appearance of the Antichrist, the Abomination of Desolation, or the unfolding of the Tribulation must occur before the Rapture, then a command to watch for Christ's coming would not be relevant. Only pretribulationism teaches a truly imminent Rapture since it is the only view not requiring anything to happen before the Rapture. As required by the above mentioned passages, the New Testament indicates that the believer’s hope is to look, watch, and wait for a person and that is Jesus. Only pretribulationism enables a believer to look for Christ and yet at the same time give full meaning to Second Coming passages and the signs that lead up to our Lord’s return to the earth. Imminency is a strong argument for the pre-trib Rapture and provides the believer with a true "blessed hope."
The Nature of the Tribulation The Bible teaches that the Tribulation (i.e., the seven-year, 70th week of Daniel) is a time of preparation for Israel's restoration and regeneration (Deut. 4:29-30; Jer. 30:4-11; Ezek. 20:22-44; 22:13-22). Revelation 3:10 notes that the Tribulation will not be for the church but for “those who dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10 [twice]; 13:8, 12, 14 [twice]; 17:2, 8), as a time upon them for their rejection of Christ is His salvation. While the church will experience tribulation in general during this present age (John 16:33), she is never mentioned as participating in Israel's time of trouble, which includes the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord, and the Wrath of God. Pretribulationalism gives the best answer to the biblical explanation of the fact that the church is never mentioned in passages that speak about tribulational events, while Israel is mentioned consistently throughout these passages.
The Nature of the Church Only pretribulationalism is able to give full biblical import to the New Testament teaching that the church differs significantly from Israel. The church is said to be a mystery (Eph. 3:1-13) by which Jews and Gentiles are now united into one body in Christ (Eph. 2:11-22). This explains why the church's translation to heaven is never mentioned in any Old Testament passage that deals with the Second Coming after the Tribulation, and why the church is promised deliverance from the time of God's wrath during the Tribulation (1 Thes. 1:9-10; 5:9; Rev. 3:10). The church alone has the promise that all believers will be taken to the Father's house in heaven (John 14:1-3) at the translation, and not to the earth as other views would demand.
The Work of the Holy Spirit Second Thessalonians 2:1-12 discusses a man of lawlessness being held back until a later time. Interpreting the restrainer of evil (2:6) as the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit at work through the body of Christ during the current age, supports the pretribulational interpretation. Since "the lawless one" (the beast or anti-Christ) cannot be revealed until the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit) is taken away (2:7-8), the Tribulation cannot occur until the church is removed. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Like all aspects of biblical doctrine, teaching on the Rapture has a practical dimension. Dr. Renald Showers has summarized some of the practical implications of the pre-trib Rapture. The fact that the glorified, holy Son of God could step through the door of heaven at any moment is intended by God to be the most pressing, incessant motivation for holy living and aggressive ministry (including missions, evangelism and Bible teaching) and the greatest cure for lethargy and apathy. It should make a major difference in every Christian’s values, actions, priorities and goals.
As John writes, “Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). Our Rapture hope is said to urge a watchfulness for Christ Himself (1 Cor. 15:58); to encourage faithfulness in church leaders (2 Tim. 4:1-5); to encourage patient waiting (1 Thes. 1:10); to result in expectation and looking (Phil. 3:20; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28); to promote godly moderation (Phil. 4:5); to excite “heavenlymindedness” (Col. 3:1-4); to bring forth successful labor (1 Thes. 2:19-20); to experience comfort (1 Thes. 4:18); to urge steadfastness (2 Thes. 2:1-2; 1 Tim. 6:14; 1 Peter 5:4); to infuse diligence and activity (2 Tim. 4:1-8); to promote mortification of the flesh (Col. 3:4-5; Titus 2:12-13); to require soberness (1 Thes. 5:6; 1 Peter 1:13); to contribute to an abiding with Christ (1 John 2:28; 3:2); to support patience under trial James 5:7-8); and to enforce obedience (2 Tim. 4:1).
The pretribulation Rapture is not just wishful “pie-in-the-sky, in the bye-and-bye” thinking. Rather, it is vitally connected to Christian living in the "nasty here-and-now." No wonder the early church coined a unique greeting of "Maranatha!" which reflected the primacy of the Blessed Hope as a very real presence in their everyday lives. Maranatha literally means "our Lord come!" (1 Cor. 16:22) The life of the church today could only be improved if "Maranatha" were to return as a sincere greeting on the lips of an expectant people.
Ice, Thomas D., "Why I Believe the Bible Teaches Rapture Before Tribulation" (2009). Article Archives. Paper 118. http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/pretrib_arch/118
Seems that lack of faith will also be rampant when the Lord comes to save His Bride before The Wrath of God is poured out on an unbelieving world.
Luke 18:8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (ESV)
Additionally, we should carefully consider the following from the Lord Jesus about The Fig Tree (The Nation of Israel reborn in The Last Days):
Luke 21:29–36
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
[29] And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. [30] As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. [31] So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the Kingdom of God is near. [32] Truly, I say to you, This Generation will not pass away until all has taken place. [33] Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Watch Yourselves
[34] “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. [35] For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. [36] But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)
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